Reilly responds to the wake-up call by acknowledging the song’s origin.

“Good morning, Houston. That song was recorded for us by a good friend out of Marble Falls, Texas, John Arthur Martinez, and it says pretty much what we're thinking up here today. And we're making good time at about five miles a second, and after a challenging and very successful mission, and with Suni aboard, we are looking at coming home,” Reilly said.

That’s one of the anecdotes Martinez shared recently with an NPR podcast based in California. You can listen to “Journeys of Discovery: From Nashville to Outer Space” on your favorite podcast app. Podcast host Tom Wilmer was part of a Burnet County tourism media tour at the end of October.

“I was surprised that the gentleman chose to focus on me,” Martinez said after hearing the podcast. “I was amazed at how elaborate he went and the songs he used.”

The podcast with Martinez is a 10-minute-28-second listen.

Wilmer focused on another local for a podcast, Fall Creek Vineyards’ winemaker Sergio Cuadra.

Wilmer published a broader podcast of the Highland Lakes titled “Texas Hill Country’s Highland Lakes Getaway.” That podcast is about 39 minutes long.